WHAT IS CTE

CTE stands for “chronic traumatic encephalopathy,” and is a type of degenerative brain condition that affects those who have suffered from concussions and sustained other forms of head trauma over a period of time. It is caused by a buildup of tau, which is an abnormal protein that strangles brain cells. The protein is found to affect areas of the brain that control memory, emotions, and other brain functions. CTE affects a wide range of people including athletes, military personnel, and countless others.

WHO IS CTE

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy affects people from all walks of life; men, women, athletes, soldiers, abused women and children and people with disabilities. Even if you don't suffer a concussion, milder, repeated head trauma may eventually result in CTE.

Here are the stories of a few people who have been either diagnosed with CTE or with symtoms consistent with CTE. By sharing their stories we hope we can help you better understand the symptoms and scope of this debilitating condition.

Frank Gifford

Francis Newton Gifford (August 16, 1930 – August 9, 2015) was an American football player and television sports commentator. After a 12-year playing career as a running back and flanker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL), he was a play-by-play announcer and commentator for 27 years on ABC's Monday Night Football.
Gifford won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 1956, the same season he won his only NFL Championship. During his career, he participated in five leag

Ken Stabler

Kenneth Michael "Ken" Stabler (December 25, 1945 – July 8, 2015), nicknamed "Snake," was an American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders (1970–1979), Houston Oilers (1980–1981) and New Orleans Saints (1982–1984). He played college football for the University of Alabama.Stabler was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Stabler died of colon cancer on July 8, 2015, at the age of 69. He had been diagnosed with the disease since F

Owen Thomas

An autopsy conducted in 2010 on the brain of Owen Thomas, a 21-year-old junior lineman at the University of Pennsylvania who committed suicide, showed early stages of CTE, making him the second youngest person to be diagnosed with the condition. The doctors who performed the autopsy indicated that they found no causal connection between the nascent CTE and Thomas's suicide. There were no records of Thomas missing any playing time due to concussion, but as a player who played hard and "loved to h

Nathan Stiles

In October 2010, 17-year-old Nathan Stiles died hours after his high school homecoming football game, where he took a hit that would be the final straw in a series of subconcussive and concussive blows to the head for the highschooler. He was later diagnosed with CTE, making him the youngest reported CTE case to date.

Tony Dorsett

Since the beginning of his life, Tony Dorsett has always been determined to prove his strength - no matter the odds that are stacked against him. From humble beginnings in a quiet Pennsylvania mill county, Dorsett always felt he was destined for greater things. One of Dorsett's passions that drove him to succeed was football. After a stellar high school and college football career, Tony Dorsett would go on to become a running back in the NFL for both the Dallas Cowboys, and later the Denver Bro

Ryan Freel

Ryan Freel was a promising American professional baseball player, whose talent allowed him to slide to first for a variety of teams in Major League Baseball. Known as a “utility player,” Freel played such positions as second base, third base, and all three outfield positions for numerous teams including the Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and Kansas City Royals. Known for winning games at any cost, Freel was a rough and tumble kind of player who would cha

Eric Lindros

Born in Ontario, Canada, Eric Lindros has always felt at home on the ice. Spanning a long career playing hockey, Lindros played for such teams as the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars.
Standing at 6 ft. 4 in., Lindros could stand up to most anyone on the ice; however, a long span of injuries suffered while playing hockey caused Lindros to miss significant playtime and to question not only his physical health, but also his mental health. Lindros came t

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